We are heartbroken for our customers, family, and friends in the Lake Charles area, we are so sad to see the news coming out about the surrounding areas of Lake Charles. We hope we can send Louisiana Love to our neighbors but supporting them and finding ways to resources to help and give back.
Below you will find a compiled list of places you can go if you need help, and things we can do to help those that have been affected because of Hurricane Laura.
Donations:
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Sweet Baton Rouge® is offering three ways you can help us give back for Hurricane Laura Relief.
- Sweet Baton Rouge® Flagship: You can drop off canned goods starting on Monday, August 31st through September 5th, and all donations will be brought to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank or Now through September 30th. You can visit the store at 1509 Government Street Suite D. When you bring in 5 or more canned goods we will give you 20% off in-store (excludes our Local Pop Up goods)
- Our newest donation raffle, online until 09/15. Click here for the details.
- All proceeds of any “Cajun Navy” t-shirt will be donated to Hurricane relief funds through our Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.
- Mid City Makers Market:you can start dropping off donations to Circa 1857. Luke (LC native) will be delivering them weekly, starting tomorrow, Sunday, August 30th. Supplies like; water, dry food, baby supplies, tarps, pet supplies, and more.
- Hurricane Laura relief efforts continue; Online assistance options available amid COVID concerns. (source WAFB) click here to read. The Diocese of Baton Rouge, Lamar Dixon Expo Center, LSU football players spent their Saturday unloading supplies and food at The Healing Place Church in East Baton Rouge. Members of the church teamed up with The Cajun Navy and other churches in Lake Charles to host a donation site and plan to continue these efforts on Monday, Aug. 31 through Friday, Sept. 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- The Governor's Office created a new resource hurricanelaura.la.gov where any Louisianan affected by Hurricane Laura can find important updates, information and links to additional resources.
- Baton Rouge Family Fun: has a great list of how you can help and give back to the Hurricane Laura Relief (Hurricane Laura was the strongest of any hurricane making landfall in Louisiana since the Last Island Storm in 1856), to find the full list, click here
- Hurricane Laura Relief: from now until Wednesday, September 2nd, I Jordan Hefler will be donating 50% of the sales from packs I & II of her #MyChromaticPresetsto the Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana, which will benefit disaster grants that pay for food, shelter, medicine, and all the other necessities that help stabilize those in most immediate need (www.foundationswla.org)
- Salvation Army: you can donateonline,by phone at 1-800-SAL-ARMY and by mail for its relief efforts.
- Network for Good, you can donate to the American Red Cross through this site, by clicking here! Network for Good is the nation’s largest online charitable giving platform.
- SBP was founded in 2006 by a couple in St. Bernard Parish who were frustrated by the slow response after Hurricane Katrina. Its model is focused on streamlining the recovery process, which includes quickly rebuilding homes and restoring local businesses and supporting policies that aid long-term recovery. SBP (originally named St. Bernard Project) is asking for local volunteers anddonations, which will go to supplies for home rebuilding, and P.P.E. for their team members and other needs. (sourced from the New York Times)
- The Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana is collecting donationsto be distributed to local organizations supporting relief efforts. The money goes first toward fulfilling survivors’ basic needs, including food, shelter, and medicine, and then to helping long-term recovery. (sourced from the New York Times)
- Louisiana Baptists, a network of 1600 churches, has trained volunteers preparing to help clean up and feed the hungry. The organization has listed the materialsit most needs on its website, including bleach, buckets, rubber gloves and other cleaning materials. It encourages cash donations, as well. (sourced from the New York Times)
- United Way of Southwest Louisiana, you can donate to the United Way for Hurricane Relief,click here. The mission of United Way of Southwest Louisiana is an authority on recognizing, measuring, and mobilizing the resources to target community needs in Southwest Louisiana with a focus on Education, Economic Mobility, Health, and Basic Needs.
- Mercy Chefs, Feeding the Body & Soul sign up here
- Emergency Louisiana Gov, a website by the government to assist from applying for FEMA to finding shelter as needed. Click here
- Power Pump Girls: Power Pump Girls, Inc. (PPG) is a social impact club connecting and mobilizing women to disrupt systems of inequity. PPG's in-house initiative,"secured." combats period poverty and provides period care products to women and girls, along with education and advocacy surrounding menstrual health. You can click here to give.
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Counterspace BR: They have an Amazon wish list for hurricane Laura victims you can find it by clicking here. The bakery will also serve as a donation drop off for supplies, toiletries, water, Gatorade, and new undies/socks!
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Show Me Your Nola: Danielle Granger Nava, writer of Show Me Your Nola’s hometown of Lake Charles has been completely devastated. She has created a master list of places you can donate too to help with aid for the SW portion of Louisiana for Hurricane Laura Relief! Find it here.
Rebuilding:
- Louisiana Home Builders Association:Need help finding a licensed and insured contractor for flood repair? Contact the home builders association in your area. Be careful to not get scammed, some great resources here,of things to watch out for.
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Louisiana Licensed Contractor:
- Get the name, business address, license number, or registration number of the contractor.
- Verify the license or registration number.
Hurricane Preparedness:
With hurricane season upon us, we at Sweet Baton Rouge feel it is both helpful and necessary to share what to do in case of disaster. Below is a checklist to help you prepare before a hurricane or storm, and we have included additional resources for you and your family.
What To Do Before Hurricane Season:
- Have a Plan- Each year, sit down with your family and discuss what to do should an emergency arise. Make sure all emergency contacts are updated on your phones and decide where you will go in case evacuation is needed. If you own pets, be sure their collars have your contact information on the tag, and if they are microchipped, be sure that information is also up to date.
- Gather Emergency Supplies- Stock up on any emergency supplies before hurricane season starts so that you have easy access to these resources. You will need items on hand such as food and water, prescription medicines, power sources (flashlights, power banks, batteries, etc.), personal care items, a fire extinguisher, and important documents. Wills, passports, birth certificates, and other personal identification should be kept handy in a safe place. For example, keeping all of these documents together in a safe will make them easy to grab if you need to evacuate.
If a Hurricane Is On the Way:
- Tune In- Check the news regularly for updates, or turn on notifications for National Weather ServiceAlerts.
- Get Your Car Ready- Have all maintenance up to date, and be sure to have a full tank of gas. It is helpful to keep a roadside emergency kit in your car at all times, but especially before a hurricane or storm. Anticipate needing to leave in a moment's notice; keeping an additional “Emergency Supply” kit (as discussed above) in your trunk is also a good idea.
- Prepare Your House- You will need to prepare your house both indoors and outdoors. Outside, be sure to clear your yard before a heavy storm. Any lawn furniture or decorations should be removed and stored indoors where they are not at risk of being blown away. Cover windows and doors with storm shutters, or you can board up your windows with plywood so that debris does not shatter the glass. Inside your house, fill clean containers with drinking water and fill bathtubs with water to clean in case you are without a water supply after the storm. Check the batteries in your carbon monoxide and fire detectors. Go around the house and unplug your electronics or make sure they are plugged into a surge protector.
During the Hurricane:
- Listen- Keeping your attention on the news, weather service, or radio is very important. Listen to the authorities for direction. If you are told to evacuate, do not ignore this direction! Even sturdy houses can not always withstand the elements, so protect yourself and get out of harm’s way. If you are advised to stay at home and shelter in place, do this. Sometimes driving conditions are too dangerous and staying put is a better option.
- If you are evacuating …Only take what you absolutely need. Have your emergency supply kit, follow the plan you made before hurricane season, and take the roads that emergency workers advise. Do not drive through flooded areas. Listen to the local emergency services for any special instruction.
- If you are staying at home …Keep away from windows. The best place to be is a room with no windows, near the center of the house. Depending on your house, a closet, laundry room, pantry, or bathroom may be a good place to take shelter. Keep your emergency supply kit accessible, listen to the TV or radio, and stay inside until emergency services say it is safe. The eye of the storm can trick you into thinking the storm is over before it actually is.
Natural Disasters like this can be scary, but they are easier to handle the more prepared you are. If this is your first hurricane season, just know that the most important thing to do is stay safe and stay calm.
For those of you who have braved many hurricane seasons, let us know your best advice in the comments.
Additional Articles About Hurricane Preparedness:
Preparing for a Hurricane// cdc.gov
Stay Safe After a Hurricane// cdc.gov
National Hurricane Preparedness// National Weather Service
Hurricanes// ready.gov
Hurricane Safety// redcross.org
Build a Kit// ready.gov
Proper Emergency Kit Essential to Hurricane Preparedness// fema.gov
